Resident Evil: Breathe
by Dark Glass Marionette
Summary: *Based on the Superchick song* When Claire loses Leon after a mission goes horribly wrong, she was unable to keep going. But maybe, thanks to the rain her tears were, the flower blooms again. Cleon two-shot! *For KT324*
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note: **Merry Christmas everyone (again) xDD! I hope everybody's having a good Christmas indeed, and I'll get to the point now. Hooray for me, it's another Cleon piece! This is going to be a two-shot (first chapter with a bit of angst and drama) about many people's favourite couple (thank goodness there are more Cleon supporters around there xD). Don't like the couple, don't read this, alright? Good! Let's get on with it!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters.**

**_Special Christmas dedication to KT324 because of her awesomeness. I hope you like this, girl!^^_**

**_

* * *

_**Resident Evil: Breathe

_Chapter One: You left..._

"_We're out of bullets! Go on ahead, I'll follow you!" _

_Her heart pumping madly, she started a fast sprint up the hall the way they came, the cries and shrieks of monsters behind them echoing in her ears like a creepy song. Everything had been orchestrated and they had fallen right into the enemy's trap, like a moth to the flame, so he'd said. Now they were running for their lives, once again like many times before, but this time was worse. There were no zombies they could outrun, no self-destruct system that would keep them on their feet, no lucky missile or RPG they could find to destroy the enemy._

_No. This time, it was all sweat, strength and determination, survival instinct, adrenaline, fear and doubt. _

_With the elevated number of casualties their team had suffered and the number of BOWs that had been released, the doors of Hell had opened once again to dump its horrors to the Earth for the umpteenth time. They were trying to escape it and, fortunately, they'd do it _alive_. Of course, they'd faced worse, but not in such an amount. _

"_Go, go!!" he shouted from behind her and pulling her by the wrist. He was impressed with himself: in spite of his large wound in his leg, he could still keep running; if he didn't, he was as good as dead. He wouldn't allow himself to though: he still had something very dear to protect, and that was running right beside him. _

_They both took a sharp right, and he almost slipped and fell on his bad leg because of a wet smudge of blood on the floor. She helped him recover__, watching his face contort with pain as his weak knees gave up and made him fall to the floor this time. She panicked, hauling him to his feet with strength and leaning his body on hers. _

"_On… On your feet, soldier, come on!" she shouted alongside with a __cry. The shrieks of BOWs behind them seemed to grow duller and duller until there was silence, and it was in that moment when they reached the outside of the hellish tunnel. _

_Suddenly, he grunted, eyes widening and coughing out blood._

_And t__ime cruelly crawled by as Claire watched him fall._

_It had all gone by too fast to react, so fast Claire hadn't had the time to even __move around before hearing the sound of gunfire, a two single shots slashing and breaking the dreadful silence, piercing his chest from side to side. And now, the sight was too horrible to bear: he was falling, wounded and almost unconscious, dragging her along with him to the ground. She tried to keep standing, but his weight and the pain in her legs didn't allow her to, and she also stumbled down. He landed on his back, his glassy grey stare fixed upon her and once Claire met it with her own, she felt his hand gingerly clench hers._

_There was no need for words, not either of consolation or comfort: they both understood what was happening; the problem was accepting it. __Claire choked back her words, knowing perfectly that they would do nothing: everything would still be the same, in silence or not. The lump in her throat didn't allow her to speak, only to breathe even more rapidly when she watched him cough and almost choke with his own blood. Claire made him sit up, which only earned her a quick order from him._

"_Put me down!" _

_She did as she was told, and his coughing subsided, leaving him on the brink of exhaustion. He kept breathing as much as he could, being watched by the Redfield, who was about to have a nervous breakdown. She couldn't believe she was literally unable to do anything. The wounds in his chest kept bleeding, and Claire's hands were stained because of her attempts to stop the blood from flowing, mostly futile._

"_I've… I've already accepted it, Claire… now… now it's you who has to."_

"_Dammit, what if I don't want to?" she shot back, glaring at him furiously. He noticed the familiar gleam of tears in her __lashes and his mouth twitched in what it seemed a smirk. _

"_Well… you can't do anything a-about it now… at-at least it wasn't you…" he replied between shaky breaths. __Claire clenched and unclenched her fists._

"_If I had just…"_

"_But you didn't, that's the thing. It's-It's alright, I… I don't blame you. C'mon, I thought you were a strong… woman that didn't cry."_

"_Even we women do cry, and even more if we're strong; the opposite is just bullshit." Claire replied, lowering her head and drying her eyes. Even with those attempts, her tears kept flowing freely, and __now he smiled. _

"_Please… save those tears for someone else… __I _would_ like to see you smile be… before I-"_

"_I can't save you; we both know that."_

_He nodded slowly. "Yeah, and… and I've told you already. Be-besides, look at me. I'm… I'm a mess, so there's not much to do." His tone was bitter, something that shook Claire's heart to its very core. He was right though: he was almost completely drenched in blood now thanks to a wound in his temple, the bullet holes and the gash in his leg, all bleeding at the same time, which told her he didn't have any more time. _

_H__e winced, making an attempt to keep his eyes open and calling Claire's attention. "…It's getting cold now… I guess it's… not…" _

_Claire's heart sunk and an unstoppable wave of grief washed over her. It was impossible but at the same time it was happening, it was a _fact_. But she had accepted it now, because it was a _fact, _a goddamned fact that he wasn't there anymore. He had saved her from death in exchange of his life, as every time happened. She took his hand, which was now as cold as the coldest of ices, and laid a kiss on his ashen forehead._

"_It's not goodbye, I know that." She said, completing his sentence. He had exhaled, and had left her, but still wasn't goodbye. She knew she'd seen him again. __In spite of that…_

_Leon Kennedy was dead._

* * *

_Three__ years later…_

**April**** 5****th****, 2009**

**Central Park, New York.**

"Hey, can I sit next to you?"

Claire lifted her head at the unknown speaker, only to find out it was Chris. She smiled faintly but instead of the joy she'd feel after seeing him again after so long, she didn't feel anything, like a spark never ignited. She nodded without a word, her movements dull and lifeless, and she kept staring ahead, finding nothing interesting but the surface of the pond to look at.

"I've been looking everywhere for you since I returned; where were you hiding?" he asked. It was something that made Claire chuckle sadly, and she leaned her back against the tree.

"Well… maybe in another world, living alone and with all my worries to myself; who knows?" she replied absentmindedly. "But… to be honest, I don't even know myself. After all that's happened…" She hesitated, as if uncomfortable. "I… can't explain it, Chris, and you know I've been bad with words lately…"

"Don't force yourself then. I just wanted to check up on you and spend a bit more time together, just to compensate the lack of time we've had lately." He said kindly. When Claire only lowered her head, he sighed inwardly. _She's as hard-headed as me, this Claire. _

"Did you pick today for it?" Claire inquired afterwards. Chris frowned, not responding. He knew it had been the fifth of April three years ago when Leon had died, Claire having called him two days later. He didn't know if anybody had been with her the same day of the following years but, on the contrary as Claire was hinting at, he hadn't chosen that day with Leon's death's anniversary as a pretext.

"No, Claire, you know I couldn't. I don't have Leon's death as a pretext to come today." He shot back, trying to make her listen. "Today has been the only chance in these years to see you, so stop being an idiot."

Claire's head perked up in indignation, but Chris didn't regret his words and held her intense gaze. Then, after thinking everything over again, Claire finally showed the sadness that had been clutching her heart since that fateful day, a sadness she hadn't been willing to share with anybody else. Chris smiled sadly, shaking his head, and pulled his sister into an embrace from which she didn't want to separate, not now, not ever.

"God, I miss him so much…" she cried, head against his chest.

"I know you do, kiddo." Chris tried his best to console her, but the only way she would calm down was crying and letting everything go. And there he stayed for the next ten minutes, holding Claire like somebody who holds a kite about to fly up into the sky and never come back. She soon calmed down and then they started talking about this topic and the other, just like they did in the old days right after school.

It had been a habit since their parents' death. The first months and even the first year seemed like hell when talking to Claire; she had always had a dark side hidden inside of her and, when that side flourished and showed itself, Claire was a completely different person. With the passing of time, she had opened up to Chris and that had been the beginning of the strong bond between them.

"Whoa, and you've kept all of this bottled up, Claire? I'll give you some credit." Chris half-teased, and Claire smiled.

"Look who's talking now."

"I agree; you've got a point. Still, you've already let it go so there's no thinking about it anymore, right?"

"You always know what to say to make me happy again, Chris." Claire thanked looking at him, and he shrugged modestly.

"Think of it as a sixth sense I've developed through the years. Besides, you're my sister and nobody knows you as well as me, remember that." He said as he rubbed her back.

The sudden ring of Claire's cell phone cut through the silence and with a complaint, she took it out of her pocket. It was a message, and both Chris and Claire read it with interest. It was short and concise, giving only a place for a meeting with Claire.

"And who might that be? You haven't got yourself a stalker, have you?" asked the older Redfield with a look of mock-distrust directed to Claire. She shook her head, reading the message again carefully and clicking on 'Details'. Once she saw the sender's name, she blinked twice before finally knowing who he was, and then her face paled slightly.

"Claire?" called Chris, and then she literally jumped to her feet and made Chris follow her quickly through the park. "Claire, who was that?!" he asked again as they ran -more like _sprinted_ down the path and amidst another group of trees. Under the shades, Claire looked around for him.

"It was Leon!" she replied, then looking at Chris. After avoiding bumping into her, Chris tried to collect himself after hearing the news and the long sprint. The shock was almost overwhelming, for both him and Claire.

"Impossible." He said bluntly.

"Damn it, it was his number!" Claire insisted. "I'm sure it's him, Chris, you have to believe me!" Chris held up his hands in defense and started replying until somebody else interrupted him.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, it must be--"

"It must be _what,_ Christopher?" Both Redfields turned their gazes to another man, clad in jeans and a black sweater, who was lying lazily beside the foot of a nearby tree, his face covered by his arms. As he stood up, they could clearly notice he was unwilling to show his face yet, as he stood with his back to them. Claire gasped audibly, recognizing that light brown hair and his figure, his demeanour and his appearance from the back. It was simply unmistakeable.

And then, he showed his face to them, revealing an intense and deep grey gaze that bore into Claire's blue one like they first time they looked at each other, and a kind smile on his tanned face that melted the remaining ice patches of sadness in Claire's heart. If it was an illusion or a trick her mind was playing on her, it was a very good and cruel one.

"You gotta be kidding…!" exclaimed Chris, but Claire didn't hesitate and jumped into the man's arms, which held her with a strength never seen before. For the first time in God knew how long, both men could hear Claire laughing genuinely, something she hadn't done in a very long time.

"It's you, Leon, it's you!" she kept exclaiming. And Leon smiled again.

"It's me, Claire, it's me."

* * *

_A/N: How's this for a start, eh? Thought he'd be dead? I wouldn't dare do that. Dun' worry (xD), explanations will be given in the next chappie, alright? Stay tuned!^^_

_Reviews are appreciated!^^  
_


	2. Chapter Two

**Author's Note:** Second chapter here, yay! Alright, with only this to say, I tell you this might have a somehow T rating because of a small moment at a little bit after the half of this chapter. Don't worry, it's nothing 'big', so to speak but, if you feel uncomfortable with it, don't read it. Enjoy!^^

* * *

_Chapter Two: ...And you came back_

They had remained more than ten seconds fused in an embrace, the kindest of all of them. Closing his eyes and resting his temple against Claire's, Leon breathed in deeply, his desire to live once again renewed by Claire's company and affection. He was alive, he was hugging his soon-to-be fiancée and he had his life back. Those were his starting points now, the rest would come later.

"Dammit, I've missed you, you know that?" Claire couldn't help but to shed tears again and hid her face, resting it against Leon's chest. She wrapped her arms more tightly around him, listening to his slow and calm heartbeat, which told her he was really there; it was no trick played by her mind. Even though she was incredibly happy to see him again, she couldn't avoid the desire of smacking the back of his head, yelling at him or even punch him. Too bad he seemed in not a very nice condition, she thought before forcing that out of her head.

Leon shrugged, smirking. "I guess you have."

"You _guess_?" Claire separated from him and stared at Leon in disbelief, her expression one of slight indignation. "You dumbass, you've been gone for three _damned_ years, and you _guess_ I've missed you? This proves you're out of your mind. Thank goodness you're that same idiot from three years ago." Leon's brow shot up as he crossed his arms.

"I should've come back sooner then, seeing you're _this_ aggressive, lil' Redfield." He replied, fixing her with a teasing gaze. Claire smiled instantly, mirth dancing in her eyes, and she took Leon's hand, gently tightening her grip around it.

"Hey, you two lovebirds." Leon and Claire turned their gazes to Chris, who had tilted his head and was saying 'hello' with his hand. "I'm still here, you know." Claire's smile widened to a grin.

"You're such a party-crasher, big bro."

"And now I have to agree with Leon here: what the hell got you so aggressive?" he replied, approaching the couple. He smiled, teasingly punching Leon's upper arm. "Back to the topic in discussion, it's really nice to have you back, Leon."

Leon nodded. "Thanks, it's also good to be back. It's taken me a long while though, and one hell of a lot of endurance too…"

"What happened to you? Where have you been all this time?" Welcomes aside, Chris had gone to the point, for he and Leon had noticed the anxiousness that lingered in Claire's bright gaze, and the trio sat down upon the grass. Leon started his tale, letting his gaze wander up to the sky.

"You know what happened that day: a mission in California, mission that went to hell and me losing my life; just to rewind a little bit. After dying, I then found myself opening my eyes and hearing all kinds of voices around, until I gathered that I was being treated. What I dreaded was that it was some mad scientist who had recovered my body, but it was actually the BSAA who had brought me back home. Five months had gone by since April."

"The BSAA?" echoed Chris. "Oh, of course, I was still searching for Jill back then. Hm, but it's strange that I didn't know."

"Well, the operation was kept secret, if you want me to be honest." Leon added, spreading his hands. "It was October when I finally was brought back to life. One of the doctors, Dave Matthews, told me everything they'd done: modifying a strain of Las Plagas, they managed to heal all my wounds and then grant me life again by inserting the modified parasite into my body and letting it make itself at home."

Claire had to keep herself from staring in utter shock. "Las Plagas, modified?" Leon had told her about that mission in Spain and she'd come to learn about the horrors a simple bug had caused, and her shock grew when Leon nodded to confirm it again.

"Hell, talk about secret experiments now." Chris muttered pensively. "I guess the parasite 'patched' everything up?"

"'Patch up' is the term, Chris." Agreed Leon with a nod and a faint smile. "Once it was implanted, it searched for any damage to its host and it just… like 'sewed' the open gashes in the cloth." He said metaphorically. Leon glanced at Claire, whose brow had creased noticeably. "Well, consider me a 'zombie' now. Careful though, I might bite."

This lifted the tension between him and Claire, since she smiled as she lowered her head. "Technology and research work wonders, don't they?" she said with a shrug. Leon sighed, also frowning, and laid a hand on her cold cheek.

"Cheer up now. It might've been long, but I guess the wait has been worth it, right?"

As Chris watched, he gathered that Leon would be the second person to know Claire the best. Even more, Leon was the kind of guy Claire once had mentioned she wanted to meet. It had been when she was nine years old and their mother had casually asked her something that had made that topic pop up. Claire, as tomboyish as she was, had given a description that, right now, quite matched Leon's persona. He could see that Leon was serious about their relationship, and Chris had let go of his 'protective-brother' kind of nature.

"I know I should cheer up, but…" Claire sighed, crestfallen. "Well, it's a bit difficult to take this in all of a sudden. Even so, I should see the positive side of this matter and that is that you're alive and here with us; still…" Leon saw her point, noticing that she had reasoned everything out before Chris had.

He knew it, he knew that in spite of having been brought back to life, that life would end sooner than later. Having modified that parasite only meant modifying its structure, its DNA and everything that involved: that parasite's lifespan was shorter than its other siblings, which also meant that Leon would meet his second and final demise should nothing be done about it. His clock was ticking… and he was unable to stop its hands from moving.

"If you think about that right now, it's not going to help." He told her. "One needs to live the life he has left; being afraid of death will only keep you caged. I plan on living what I have left; when my time comes, we'll worry about that."

Claire nodded. "I can't help thinking about it, but you're right." She replied after a short moment of silence. "Thanks, Leon." Both of them smiled, and Leon slid an arm around her shoulders.

"Of course, silly. Besides, you also have Chris here, and I'm sure he's much more positive and sensible than me. He's your brother after all."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, believe me." Replied Chris with a smile. Then, he looked up to the sky. "It's getting dark now, and I have important matters to take care of. I'm guessing you two have something to do, too." He winked an eye at Claire, who shook a hand at him.

"Oh, shut up!" she exclaimed genially. Leon was relieved; he _so_ wanted to see that expression of Claire's more often, that bright smile that always adorned her face. "Go on, get lost!" Chris shook his head, sighing.

"I don't think mum, dad and I educated you to be like this, treating your brother this way." He teased. "Bah, forget it. I'll be seeing you, okay?" Flashing one last smile at them, he stood up and walked out to the street, both Claire and Leon following him with their gazes. Claire had been surprised by Chris' nonchalance when mentioning their parents, since it was a memory that still burned when mentioned. In spite of that, his words had been correct but she dismissed his joke.

She shivered. "Man, it's getting dark and colder by the minute. What says we go home now?"

"I agree with that, so let's get going."

In spite of having been apart for three years, they didn't talk much along the way. Maybe it was a habit they wouldn't lose no matter what but they always remained quiet. They didn't speak but they couldn't stop glancing at each other; it was one moment after the other, their gazes meeting eventually and locking themselves until one couldn't hold it much longer. That was also one of the habits -more like a game- they still conserved and played at whenever they could.

In just six minutes they were at their apartment block, and in one and a half they were at their door. Claire opened it quickly and Leon found himself surprised, reliving memories he thought he'd lost and examining the room carefully. The look of the apartment hadn't changed a single bit, and it was as if Claire had never lived there. Of course and as expected from a woman, everything was in place and neatly arranged. He found himself smiling as he made his way inside, looking around and taking everything in again. He stopped momentarily to take off his jacket and then kept admiring the apartment.

Claire watched him curiously. "It brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"I'll say…" Leon nodded absentmindedly. "I can't believe it's been so long. You haven't changed anything, have you?" Making her way inside and approaching him, Claire shook her head.

"No, I haven't. I liked it this same way and, to be honest, I didn't change anything because everyday I was reminded of you." She replied sincerely. "You must be thinking that it was painful and it was, but it would've been senseless to change what you like, don't you think?"

"As realistic and practical as always, eh?" smiled Leon as he raked both hands through his hair. "I appreciate that you didn't change anything; now I got the proof I needed."

Claire tilted her head. "And what is that proof?" Leon didn't respond at first, then he chuckled, which made Claire insist once again. With this, he stepped forward, somehow anxious, took Claire's face with his hands and kissed her softly, then ardently, having longed for that moment since the same instant he had started breathing again. She happily responded to his gesture, getting even closer to him and resting her hands on his neck.

They separated, their gazes boring into each other's, and Claire took him by the hand, slowly, to their bedroom, in silence, making no sound. With each glance they shared, they forgot a little bit more about the world around them, as if it were nothing more than a dream. Now, it was them and only them. Claire started the kiss this time with even more ardour than before, sliding her hands to Leon's hips and tugging at his shirt. Without even thinking and catching the hint, Leon allowed her so, removing his shirt and revealing his toned chest, adorned with scars from over the years.

"What about you?" he whispered, moving his hands to the belly buttons of her white blouse and undoing a couple of them. Claire smiled momentarily before feeling the coldness of Leon's hands on her own hips, and that made her flinch mildly. Noticing this, Leon took them away but didn't widen the gap between their mouths.

"Sorry, was I too fast?" he asked evenly but Claire shook her head. She started undoing her blouse herself, but then she smirked and wrapped her arms around Leon's waist.

"I'll give you the pleasure. Don't be too cruel though."

"Since when did I have that intention?" Within seconds, their top garments lay on the cold floor and their mouths kissing again, Leon making Claire waltz to gently make themselves lie on it. His body on top of hers, he left a trail of kisses from her jawbone to her collarbone, where he stopped, exhaled and rested his forehead. Leon was enjoying the touch and the warmth of Claire's body under him, which eased and palliated the coldness of his own.

He felt Claire's hands trace the lines of his back up and down, touching his scars and massaging his tense muscles, something that made him instinctively smile and stand on all fours, arching his back and stretching it. Then, the feeling of Claire's hands through his hair, down his neck, his shoulders and then his chest caused a knot in his stomach to tighten. It was only in clichéd situations when one would think what he was thinking, but he felt _alive_ once again, energy and life flowing through his veins.

Leon looked at Claire, who had watched him with a concerned expression. "Are you alright, Leon?" she then asked, and he nodded firmly.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm just a bit tired, that's all. But--"

"Then speak no more." Claire interrupted him. With a smile, she patted the top of her left breast, near her heart, and added, "You're staying with me, though."

Leon knew what that gesture meant and carefully, almost lazily, lowered his body and rested his head on top of Claire's hand, the sound of her heartbeat kindly lull him to sleep. The closeness of their bodies sent a shiver up Claire's spine. She felt him relax like never before, his muscles releasing all tension, and she knew he'd immediately fallen asleep. She smiled, making herself comfortable and keeping Leon by her side.

In Leon's mind, she sang, her voice faint and soft…

_Sleep, my love, as the trees above protect you from the dark__…_

* * *

When Leon came to his senses again, he found himself shielded from the cold in the room with a thick blanket and he instinctively wrapped it around himself tighter. His eyes adjusted to the light, but then he exclaimed in pain and hissed between his teeth, rubbing his hurting eyes.

"Leon, what's wrong?" He heard Claire's concerned voice and her footsteps coming nearer, and then she looked at her with a hand shielding his eyes.

"It's okay, it's nothing. The cold isn't good for me now, nor is the light."

Claire lifted an eyebrow. "What? Don't tell me you're photophobic now, Leon." She said, and Leon chuckled.

"Well, somehow I am, yes." He sighed and stretched as lazily as he usually did, covering his face with his hands. "I remember reading with a very faint light or wanting to be completely in the dark when in broad daylight back in my treatment days. That's why I chose such a dark spot in the park when there were others better lit." he explained with a faint gesture in disbelief. "I still haven't got completely used to it, you know. I miss going out in sunny days and not feeling any pain in my eyes, but that's in the past, alright. It's all because of the parasite's photophobia."

"Man, that sure is taking a toll on you, huh?"

"Somehow, yeah…" He watched Claire sit down beside him after closing the curtains, still glancing at him in concern, and then he sat up slowly. "Good grief, I feel like with a hangover… The headache's going to kill me, though I might have found a remedy for that."

"And what's that?" Claire inquired. Leon smiled faintly.

"A 'good morning' kiss, for example?" This triggered a wholehearted laugh from Claire, to which Leon soon joined with chuckles of his own. He stared at Claire, watching her radiant expression.

_Damn, it's good to be back. _

_----_

_Sleep my love, close your eyes...__and when you've awaken,_

_A new day will bring to you a bright new world..._

_

* * *

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_A/N: And it's finished! Dammit, I had so much fun writing this last two parts... It was special and I've discovered a new talent in me (mwahahahaaaa). Nah, I won't use it for bad things, don't worry xDDDD And yes, small references to "Manuela's Lullaby" from DSC. I have to admit that I love the song and it kinda fit this chapter too, aside from the original song I chose to write this to.  
_

_I really hope you liked this, KT, and thanks everyone for their incredibly positive support. Thank you, and merry Christmas!^^  
_


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